Rotary explosive-engine.



N0. 677,00l. Patented June 25, I901. A. T. STIMSON. ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

(Application filed Apr. '26, 1900.)

2Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Patented lune 25, l90l'. A. T; STIMSON.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGiNE.

(Application filed Apr. 26, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

NITED STATES ATENT FFEE.

ALFRED T. STIMSON, OF EUREKA, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

EBPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,001, dated June 25, 1901.

Application filed April 26, 1900. derial No. 14,441. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED T. STIMSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eureka, county of Humboldt, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Gas- Engines; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to engines which are propelled by a fluid under pressure.

It consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Fig.3 is a plan of a portion of the rim, showing the lever-arm. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of the means for operating the exhaust-valve. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the inlet-valve 15, showing portions of the cylinder, the rod 14, and yoke 17. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line a a of Fig. 5.

This engine may be propelled by steam, compressed air, water, gas, or by an explosive vapor. I have here shown my invention as applied to the latter class of engines. The cylinders A are here shown as mounted radially between two concentric rims 2 and 3. Within these cylinders pistons 4 are fitted to reciprocate, and by means of piston-rods 5 they are connected with a stationary pin or center 6, so that while the cylinders revolve about the shaft 7, upon which the rims 2 and 3 are carried, the pistons are caused to reciprocate within the cylinders. Gas or other propelling medium is admitted into the outer ends of the cylinders through pipes orpassages 8 by means of valves which are actuated by pinions 10, journaled around a central fixed pinion 11. The pinions 1O revolve with the rims and cylinders, and they have crank or eccentric pins 12, which' are connected by rods 13 with the slide-rods 14, which actuate the exhaust-valve 16, as shown in Fig. 4. This valve is operated by the rod 14, the lower end being connected with the pinion by a rod 13. The upper end of this rod 14 is connected with a forked lever or yoke 17, and the latter is fulcrumed by a spring-support c to the head of the cylinder. This yoke rests upon the lugs d, which extend outwardly from the enlarged portion or collar of the valve-stem, with which enlarged portion the spring e, surrounding the stem, also connects. This spring has a tendency to keep the valve 16 closed. During the travel of the pin 12 through the space represented by the dotted linefof Fig. 4 the yoke will press upon the lugs 01 and will consequently open the valve 16 to allow the engine to exhaust; but during the remainder of the travel the yoke will be lifted from the lugs d and the springs will act to keep the valve closed until the yoke 17 again contacts with the lugs 61 at the lower part of the travel of the connecting-link 13 and pin 12. The inlet-valve 15, as shown in Fig. 5, is springpressed and controls the gas-inlet from the passage 8, which passage enters at right angles and passes around the rod 14, as shown in Fig. 6, to the combustion-chamber or upper part of the cylinder A. When the piston 4 is moving in the direction which will produce a vacuum, it opens the valve to draw in a charge, and as soon as the piston moves in the other direction the valve is allowed to close by the action of the spring as well as by the pressure produced. This valve is always closed previous to the explosion of any cylinder. The radial inlet-passages 8 connect at the center with a hollow arm 18, which in turn connects with the hollow eccentricpin 6, and the propelling medium is conveyed through this pin to the cylinders.

If gas or explosive vapor is employed, when it has been properly compressed within the cylinders and when the cylinders arrive at the proper point in their revolution the charge is exploded, thus giving an impulse to force the cylinder and the wheel or rims in which it is carried to revolve.

An electric spark is produced by means of lever-arms 19, which contact with a stationary pin or lug 20 at a certain point in the revolution to interrupt the circuit and produce the spark.

21 represents commutator or conducting rings carried by the revolving wheel, and 22 represents brushes suitably supported and in sulated and resting upon the peripheries of the rings.

Between the hub and rim of the revoluble structure are located coils O, with suitable terminal connections with the rim and commutator or conducting rings 21, the object of the coils being to increase the strength of the spark.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a revoluble structure including concentric rims, a plurality of radially-disposed cylinders having opposite ends fixed to said rims, pistons within the cylinders, a hollow pin eccentric to the center about which the cylinders revolve, rods connecting the pistons with said pin, means for supplying a propelling medium to and eX- hausting it from the cylinders including gaspassages through the eccentric-pin and in the revoluble structure and inlet-valves controlling the latter passages, radially-disposed rods slidably mounted in the structure between each cylinder and its gaspassage, a pinion fixed to the pin, gearing carried by the revoluble structure and means connecting the slidable rods with the gearing, and eX- haust-valves and means for operating the same including forked yokes on the perimeter of the outer rim, having one end spring-supported and the opposite end connected with the slide-rods, said yokes having their intermediate portions operatively engaging the stems of the exhaust-valves.

2. In an engine; a journaled revoluble structure, a plurality of cylinders carried thereby radial to the center of revolution, an independent pin fixed out of line with said center, pistons movable in the cylinders and rods connecting the pistons with said pin,

passages through which a propelling medium is admitted to the cylinders, and valves and mechanism by which said valves are actuated to admit and exhaust the propelling medium,

said mechanism including a pinion fixed to the pin and gearing carried by the revoluble structure, radially-disposed longitudinallyreciprocating rods mounted in the said structure and having their outer ends extending .beyond the perimeter thereof, means connecting the inner ends of the rods with the gearing, and spring-supported yokes on the perimeter of the structure and connected with the outer ends of the rods, and having their intermediate portions connected with the stems of the exhaust-valves.

3; An improved gas-engine includinga revoluble structure having a plurality of radially-disposed cylinders with pistons movable therein, a hollow pin fixed out of line with the center of revolution of the structure and provided with a pinion, and rods connecting the pistons with said pin, radial passages in the structure, one for each cylinder, and connecting with the hollow pin, inlet-valves, exhaust-valves and means for actuating them including radially-disposed slide-rods between the radial passages and the adjacent cylinderS yokes having their ends connected with said slide-rods and the revoluble structure and having their intermediate portions connected with the stems of the exhaustvalves, gearing located'in the center of the structure and engaging said pinion androds connecting the gearing with the inner ends of the slide-rods, igniting devices and means whereby a contact is made and broken to produce the spark.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALFRED T. STIMSON.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, JESSIE C. BRODIE. 

